1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage receptacles and more particularly to a storage receptacle for food products having means for cooling the contents of the receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many previously known types of storage receptacles for cooling and maintaining a low temperature of food products, beverages and the like. Quite often, the receptacles, often commonly referred to as coolers, include an open-topped housing defining a single chamber which can be closed by a housing lid. In such a device, a refrigerant, for example, cubes of ice, is stored in the chamber along with the food products to be stored. Such a structure is disadvantageous for the reason that the ice melts and can soak the food packages or the food products themselves.
Some of the previously known storage receptacles overcome this problem by providing a separate storage area for the refrigerant. However, by doing so, such a device is disadvantageous for the reason that the partition or the means for separating the refrigerant from the food product can inhibit the cooling, and maintenance of low temperatures, of the food product. Moreover, such receptacles suffer the disadvantage that as food products are removed from the container and consumed, the bulk of the container remains substantially the same.
Another previously known means for cooling or maintaining the low temperature of food products comprises a closed housing filled with a refrigerant. The housing itself is inserted within a storage receptacle in order to cool the contents therein. Although such a device prevents the melting refrigerant from contacting the food products within the receptacle, such devices cool not only the food products within the container, but also the ambient air space within the container. Thus, much of the cooling power of the insert is wasted whenever the receptacle is opened and the heat from the ambient air escapes into the open top of the container.
Another previously known refrigerant device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,226 to Moore. Moore discloses an open-topped insulated beverage can holder adapted to receive a cylindrical sleeve of reusable refrigerant. The cylindrical sleeve can be placed in a conventional refrigerator/freezer to freeze a gel contained within the cylindrical sleeve and which then surrounds a beverage can inserted within the holder to chill and maintain a low temperature in the contents of the container. The device of Moore is disadvantageous for the reason that the beverage container cannot be wholly enclosed within the holder, and thus a portion of the beverage container is exposed to the ambient air. Thus a portion of the chilling effect from the cylindrical sleeve can be wasted, especially when environmental temperature is relatively high. Moreover, the device of Moore is particularly configured for holding a single beverage container and thus does not teach or suggest a means for storing a plurality of beverage containers or other food products within the holder.